Page:Ballads, Stevenson, 1890.djvu/23

 And doubled and packed them well, and covered the basket close

—"There is a buffet, my king," quoth he, "and a nauseous dose!"—

And hung the basket again in the shade, in a cloud of flies

—"And there is a sauce to your dinner, king of the crafty eyes!"

Soon as the oven was open, the fish smelt excellent good.

In the shade, by the house of Rahéro, down they sat to their food,

And cleared the leaves6 in silence, or uttered a jest and laughed,

And raising the cocoanut bowls, buried their faces and quaffed.

But chiefly in silence they ate; and soon as the meal was done,

Rahéro feigned to remember and measured the hour by the sun,

And "Támatéa," quoth he, "it is time to be jogging, my lad."

So Támatéa arose, doing ever the thing he was bade,

And carelessly shouldered the basket, and kindly saluted his host;

And again the way of his going was round by the roaring coast.

Long he went; and at length was aware of a pleasant green,

And the stems and shadows of palms, and roofs of lodges between

There sate, in the door of his palace, the king on a kingly seat,

And aitos stood armed around, and the yottowas7 sat at his feet.

But fear was a worm in his heart: fear darted his eyes;

And he probed men's faces for treasons and pondered their speech for lies.

To him came Támatéa, the basket slung in his hand,

And paid him the due obeisance standing as vassals stand. 11